Thompson's phone showed that he received two warnings -- the first at 5:41 p.m. and the second at 6:15 p.m -- warning him to take shelter immediately and check local news media reports.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado was on the ground sometime between 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The Roseville Fire Department said the tornado damaged 12 homes, including two in the area of Syke Court that received substantial damage.

Keith Kun said a picnic table flew against his home's back wall and punched a hole into an upstairs bedroom.

The tornado also shattered two windows, smashed a wooden fence and tossed a ceramic planter into his pool.

Kun said he was grateful that his family was not home at the time of the storm.

"The fire marshal said they'll most likely have to pull all the stucco off the back of the house," Kun said. "And he said with the windows and everything, (there will) probably (be) between $25,000 and $30,000 worth of repair to the house."

Fire Chief Marc Reed said people who stood outside watching the tornado were probably not taking too much of a risk in this case.

The tornado was classified as an EF-0, which means it had wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph.

However, Reed said he would prefer residents seek shelter in basements or bathrooms.

"I don't think it's a great idea for people to be stopping and videoing it and chasing it and those kinds of things," Reed said. "That's really not what we want you to do."

Reed said text messages, such as the ones used during the storm, may become more common because Placer, Yolo and Sacramento counties are implementing a new $76,000-a-year warning system.

It is designed to be used not only for severe weather, but for other emergencies and will allow police officers and firefighters to issue warnings from the scene.

Thompson said he finally took cover with his dog behind a kitchen counter as the tornado barred down on his house.

"When it was all over, I looked up and went, 'There's pots and pans, and there's knives right here,'" Thompson said.

Thompson, who is originally from Missouri, said he has new respect for California tornadoes and said the next time one hits, he will not hesitate to seek shelter.

SMASHED WINDOWS, DAMAGED PROPERTY AND A PICNIC TABLE THAT WENT FLYING. PEOPLE ARE ADDING UP THE DAMAGE FROM A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN ROSEVILLE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASKING FOR -- TWO OF THOSE IN GLENN COUNTY. ONE OF THEM ON THE LEFT, THE OTHER WAS IN WESTERN PLACER COUNTY. WE DID SEE THIS IN THAT AREA FROM LIVE COPTER 3. TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS TODAY. MARK WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE TWISTERS. STARTING WITH DAVID WHO IS LIVE IN ROSEVILLE TO SHOW US THE DAMAGE. GOOD AFTERNOON. IF THIS HAD BEEN AN EARTHQUAKE, WE WOULD BE STANDING AT ITS EPICENTER. THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS THE WEAKEST KIND BUT THAT WAS STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO PICK UP THIS PICNIC TABLE AND THROW IT INTO A NEIGHBOR'S YARD. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 65 AND 85 MILES PER HOUR. HE ESTIMATES HIS GARDEN SHED WEIGHS ABOUT 1000 POUNDS. BUT HE SAYS THAT TORNADO PICKED IT UP, THREW IT AGAINST HIS HOME , THEN EIGHT FEET INTO HIS BACKYARD. MY PICNIC TABLE WAS PICKED UP FROM THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE. FIRST CONTACT WAS PROBABLY HERE. IT MAY HAVE SPUN ON ITS WAY DOWN. IT NOT ONLY HIT THE BACK WALL OF KEITH'S HOUSE, IT BROKE INTO A BEDROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR. WE WERE ALL OUT WHEN IT HAPPENED. NOBODY WAS HOME. THE TORNADO SMASHED HIS BACKYARD FENCE, BUSTED TWO OF HIS WINDOWS AND LITTERED HIS POOL WITH WOOD CHIPS AND A CERAMIC PLANTER. MOST LIKELY WE WILL HAVE TO PULL ALL THE STUCCO OFF THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. WITH THE WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING, PROBABLY BETWEEN $25,000 TO $30,000. FIRST REPORTED AS A FUNNEL CLOUD AT 5:30 P.M., THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN WEST ROSEVILLE ABOUT 6:45. THE WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THIS TORNADO STAYED ON THE GROUND FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS. FROM THERE TO THEIR. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, IT WAS GONE. 12 HOMES HAD AT LEAST MINOR DAMAGE. NO ONE WAS HURT. FOR MOST PEOPLE IT WAS A REASON TO GRAB A CELL PHONE, START SHOOTING PICTURES AND VIDEO, TELL FRIENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT CALIFORNIA CAN BE TORNADO COUNTRY TOO. I HAVE BEEN IN SACRAMENTO FOR A LONG TIME AND THERE WERE A HANDFUL. HERE, IT CAN HAPPEN TOO. THEY SAY THEIR INSURANCE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE PREPARING THIS FENCE. CALIFORNIA HAS NOW HAD THREE TORNADOES SO FAR THIS YEAR. THE TORNADO ALLEY PART OF THE COUNTRY HAS SO FAR HAD ZERO.

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